Matt Jackson (former Everton, Norwich and Wigan Athletic footballer) got knocked off his bike in virtually the same spot last year when undertaking a charity bike ride from his home (a couple of miles away from the incident) to Norwich, I know the stretch well the road configuration has changed several times over the years, still leads to some interesting manvouvers by motorists.

A lot of people miss the point that very often cyclists are not blaming motorists for driving like cretinous loons rather than pointing out that it's often how the roads have been put together that is the (easily solvable) problem.

Sitting at a busy road junction in a town centre last night at 6.30pm on a red light. In the space of those few seconds, FIVE cyclists went over the junction on red. Four went 'slowly and carefully' but the other didn't even slow down and went straight through causing several cars to brake/swerve.

Sitting at a busy road junction in a town centre last night at 6.30pm on a red light. In the space of those few seconds, FIVE cyclists went over the junction on red. Four went 'slowly and carefully' but the other didn't even slow down and went straight through causing several cars to brake/swerve.

You have to ask yourself why in those situations it may be safer to go through on red than wait for the light to turn green.

But, playing that game, I went for a walk at lunchtime and as is my want I crossed Marylebone Road. Number of cars going through red lights: 9; Number of bikes: 2.

You have to ask yourself why in those situations it may be safer to go through on red than wait for the light to turn green.

I cycled for many years in London, and that argument of being safer to run the light than to wait 'til it's your turn has never seemed reasonable at any time or in any situation, unless you're being pursued by the Russian Mafia.

Between the optimist & the pessimist
The difference is quite droll:
The optimist sees the doughnut,
The pessimist sees the hole.

Like motorists there are good and bad cyclists. I see a lot more good than bad. I expect most people notice more bad than good.

If I'd included amber I wouldn't have been able to keep count of the cars. The only time I've seen a study done (it was on Trafalgar Square if I recall correctly) they found the same: more cars/motor vehicles going through on red than bikes. When I cycled in the London - I can walk to work now - there were 2 junctions in particular where a few cyclists would advance on red (I personally did not) as it increased their visibility and put them in a safer position on the road.

There is that. If you are at a traffic light you do tend to notice if a cyclist pulls alongside and then goes through on red, whereas most cars don't pull out and go through on red once they have stopped at lights.